Telegraph Key
Telegraph Key
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- Description (Brief)
- Telegraph keys are electrical on-off switches used to send messages in Morse code. The message travels as a series of electrical pulses through a wire. The operator pushes the key’s lever down briefly to make a short signal, a dot, or holds the lever down for a moment to make a slightly longer signal, a dash. The sequence of dots and dashes represent letters and numbers. Keys can be quite simple devices. This key was hand-made by W. W. Shock, a Union operator at Point Of Rocks, MD, in 1864. Confederate troops had destroyed the regular key so Shock made this "perfectly practicable and serviceable" replacement.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Object Name
- telegraph key
- date made
- 1864
- Physical Description
- wood (overall material)
- rubber (overall material)
- brass (overall material)
- Measurements
- overall including stand: 2 3/4 in x 3 in x 6 1/2 in; 6.985 cm x 7.62 cm x 16.51 cm
- key only: 2 in x 2 1/2 in x 6 in; 5.08 cm x 6.35 cm x 15.24 cm
- ID Number
- EM.220375
- catalog number
- 220375
- accession number
- 41421
- Credit Line
- from Charles Selden
- See more items in
- Work and Industry: Electricity
- Communications
- Telegraph Keys
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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